[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7030-7031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02551]
[[Page 7030]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD07000 L16100000.DS0000 15XL1109AF]
Notice of Intent To Amend the California Desert Conservation Area
Plan and Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact
Report for a Proposed Recreation Area Management Plan and General Plan
Update for the Management of Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation
Area in Imperial County, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) El
Centro Field Office, California, and California Department of Parks and
Recreation Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) intend
to prepare a California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment
with an associated joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Ocotillo Wells State
Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) for the proposed Recreation Area
Management Plan (RAMP) and General Plan update. By this notice, the BLM
and OHMVR are announcing the beginning of the scoping process to
solicit public comments and identify issues.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the CDCA
Plan Amendment with associated joint EIS/EIR. Comments on issues may be
submitted in writing until March 11, 2015.
The BLM has scheduled two public scoping meetings:
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
3:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Temecula Conference Center, 41000 Main Street,
Temecula, CA 92590.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Ocotillo Wells SVRA Visitor Center, Discovery
Center Building, 5172 Highway 78, Borrego Springs, CA 92004.
The date(s) and location(s) of any additional scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html. In order to be included in the analysis, all comments
must be received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will
provide additional opportunities for public participation as
appropriate.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria
related to the Ocotillo Wells SVRA RAMP and General Plan Update by any
of the following methods:
Web site: www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 760-337-4490
Mail: Attn: Carrie Simmons, BLM El Centro Field Office,
1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the El Centro
Field Office at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Simmons; telephone 760-337-
4437; address 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243; or email
[email protected]. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM
intends to prepare a CDCA Plan Amendment with an associated EIS,
announces the beginning of the scoping process, and seeks public input
on issues and planning criteria. The Ocotillo Wells SVRA is located in
San Diego and Imperial counties, generally north of State Route 78,
west of State Route 86, and bounded by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
on the north and west. The BLM portion of this project occurs solely
within Imperial County and constitutes approximately 21,600 acres
within the 85,000 acre Ocotillo Wells SVRA.
The BLM lands within the Ocotillo Wells SVRA are managed by
California State Parks OHMVR Division through a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU). A joint RAMP/General Plan would improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of resource and recreation management at
Ocotillo Wells SVRA. Primary recreation activities at Ocotillo Wells
SVRA include off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, camping, education and
interpretation, and special events. The California State Parks General
Plan revision is needed to provide updated planning and management
policies, goals, and guidelines for the entire SVRA including SVRA
expansions since the 1982 General Plan was adopted. The BLM decisions
include whether or not to amend the CDCA plan to change the land use
designation of some BLM parcels in the SVRA. This may include making
changes in OHV area designations in accordance with 43 CFR 8342. The
CDCA Plan Amendment/EIS will consider a proposal to designate the
Ocotillo Wells SVRA as a Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA).
SRMA designations recognize public lands where recreation is the
predominant land use. In response to a California State Parks
Recreation and Public Purposes Act (R&PP Act) application, the BLM will
also identify lands within the planning area that would be available
for leasing or patent to the State of California through the R&PP Act
or other land transfer or disposal processes. The purpose of the public
scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the
scope of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide
the planning process. Preliminary issues for the CDCA Plan Amendment
area have been identified by BLM and OHMVR as well as other Federal,
State, and local agencies and stakeholders. Issues include wildlife and
botany; cultural resources and paleontology; water resources; noise;
land use; geology and soils; mineral resources including geothermal;
socioeconomics; hazardous materials and solid waste; public health;
visual resources; air quality; recreation; and traffic and
transportation.
In addition, the BLM anticipates the following planning issues: (1)
How best to address conflicts between recreational users, and (2) how
to balance opportunities for the different kinds of recreation uses.
A preliminary list of the potential planning criteria that will be
used to help guide and define the scope of the Plan Amendment includes:
1. Compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant Federal
laws, executive orders, and BLM policies;
2. To the extent consistent with Federal law, the lands will be
managed consistently with the California Department of Parks and
Recreation OHMVR Division's Strategic Plan and the Off-Highway
Motorized Vehicle Recreation Act, which include policies for managing
both environmental resources and recreational activities in a
sustainable manner;
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3. The Plan Amendment/RAMP/General Plan will recognize valid
existing rights;
4. Public involvement and participation will be an integral part of
the planning process; and
5. Where existing planning decisions are still valid, those
decisions may remain unchanged and be incorporated into the new Plan
Amendment/RAMP/General Plan.
You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing
to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or using one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most helpful, you should
submit comments by the close of the 30-day scoping period or within 15
days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to
help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources. The BLM will
consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-government basis in
accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the
BLM to participate in the development of the EIS as a cooperating
agency.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed.
The BLM will evaluate identified issues to be addressed, and will
place them into one of three categories:
1. Issues to be resolved in the CDCA Plan Amendment;
2. Issues to be resolved through policy or administrative action;
or
3. Issues beyond the scope of this CDCA Plan Amendment.
The BLM will provide an explanation in the Scoping Report or the
EIS/EIR as to why an issue was placed in category two or three. The
public is also encouraged to help identify any management questions and
concerns that should be addressed by the project. The BLM will work
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the management
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs
and concerns. The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop
the CDCA Plan Amendment in order to consider the variety of resource
issues and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the
following disciplines will be involved in the planning process:
Planning, minerals and geology, outdoor recreation, archaeology,
paleontology, wildlife, botany, lands and realty, hydrology, soils,
sociology and economics.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-02551 Filed 2-6-15; 8:45 am]
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